


Take A Bite

by lovette11



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-03
Updated: 2016-07-03
Packaged: 2018-07-19 20:11:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,736
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7375759
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lovette11/pseuds/lovette11
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Snippets of times Bucky and Tony have shared a meal together. After all, they say the way to a man's heart is through his stomach.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Take A Bite

Bucky tumbled into the kitchen with bloodshot eyes, rubbing his head with his metal hand. Sweat was visible on the top of his brow. He jumped slightly at the sight of Tony on the breakfast bar, who hadn't seen him come in due to intensely fiddling with something on his tablet with one hand. He was holding something half-eaten in the other.

"Is that a cookie?" Bucky mumbled, clearing his throat that had become hoarse from screaming not moments ago. "At 4am?"

Tony just hummed in agreement so Bucky lent over his shoulder to bite a bit off out of his hand, he proceeded around the bar to make coffee when it occurred to him what he'd done. He froze and turned stiffly round, wincing in anticipation, but Tony appeared to be unbothered by the action and remained working at his tablet. 

"Hey can you bring me one?" Bucky jumped again at the sudden noise and sighed, he was far too on edge for a super spy, he turned his body around and passed along his mug to Tony, who smiled and continued working. Bucky set about pouring himself another mug and then a plan occurred to him - He wanted to see how often he could get away with stealing bites of Stark's food. 

* * *

 

That night he knew Steve was due to cook the meal and most of the Avengers would not miss that. Steve had managed to become quickly accustomed to the new cooking technology, he'd even gone as far as buying a spiraliser. (The team ate vegetable noodles with every meal for a month before they managed to get bored with the task of noodling.)

When he came into the kitchen everyone was gathered around the table, the TV was on in the background showing a celebrity gossip channel and clearly Clint was the one to choose it as he now fought over the remote with Natasha, Bucky grinned and took the seat next to Tony. He just briefly hesitated in his sentence to Bruce, indicating he noticed the change in habit from Bucky sitting between Tasha and Steve. Steve and Sam began bringing the food over, with a couple of bowls floating over from Wanda who refused to get out her seat. 

"Thank you Wanda," Steve smiled as he sat down with the bowls in his hand, passing them off to the other Avengers. Clint made grabby hands for the potato wedges and Steve sighed. He put a couple on his plate and turned to his left, "Buck, do you want some-" He looked up to see that Sam was now sat beside him and Bucky was diagonally across the table from him. Bucky waved when Steve frowned, he looked a tad offended but then shrugged. "Sam, would you like some wedges?" and Sam graciously ignored the slip and took some, then handed the plate to Clint. 

Bucky sat silently watching Tony talk, he was so animated when he spoke to Bruce. People thought he lit up at the topic of Science but Bucky thought it was just the fact that he now had someone at his intelligence level to discuss science with. Bucky smiled at the sight, a cough came from across the table, Steve raised an eyebrow and darted his eyes between the two. Bucky shot him the universal gesture to shut the fuck up because now Tony had stopped talking and was looking between them both. Bucky just shrugged at Tony and stole a potato wedge from his plate, Tony's eyes tracked the entire journey from plate to mouth but sighed and rolled his eyes before continuing to speak to Bruce. 

Score to Buck. He grinned around the potato smugly to himself.

* * *

 

The next day Bucky took down some lunch and water for Tony, once it got to 5pm he knew the chances of Tony making an appearance at all that day was minimal and he didn't want Tony to starve. Which was ironic considering he had decided his new task in life was to steal Tony's food. 

When the doors opened to the workshop he couldn't see Tony but there was loud rock metal playing which indicated he was definitely in here, so Bucky came around to the work bench and placed the plate down.

"FRIDAY, cut the music please." Bucky requested and the music stopped, "Thank you." He saw Tony slide out from underneath one of the cars in the garage that Bucky never even paid attention to when he was down here most of the time. "I brought you some food. You seemed like you were on your way to skipping dinner." He explained.

"Oh thanks, you can just leave it there and I'll grab it after I've done this-" He looked up at Bucky's glare, that had become a lot closer. "Or I could do it after food." Bucky took a step back and nodded, letting Tony walk past him so that his arm brushed Bucky's chest. A little flutter arose in the pit of his stomach at the contact and Bucky paused. "Are you joining me?" Tony asked from the work bench. 

Bucky walked over and settled himself beside Tony, probably closer than needed but Tony didn't move away so either did he. "What are you working on that's so important then?" Bucky asked, stealing a chip from Tony's plate. Tony munched on his sandwich and held a finger up. Once he swallowed he began talking.

"Just the engine's gone in one of my cars and I'm a mechanic so, decided to fix it. But then, I also decided I could do better, of course."

"Of course." Bucky agreed, a bit more sincerely than he meant it. Tony gave him a grin and took another bite from his sandwich. They lapsed into silence for a couple of minutes, when Tony was almost done with his sandwich Bucky asked "So did you do better?"

"What?" Tony turned to him with crumbs in his goatee, he grabbed a napkin and wiped his face when he realised what Bucky was asking him. "Oh! Oh! Oh, yeah, yeah, no, I haven't tried it yet. Wanna see?" He grinned, and held up the keys that were in his pocket, Bucky nodded. He could never say no to Tony.

-

Tony had done a great job on the engine, statistically it was faster but it was also smoother and made the most gorgeous sound Bucky thought he had ever heard from a car engine. Tony suddenly pulled them into an old lane and up into what seemed to be a private farm. 

"Err, Tony?" Bucky ventured but Tony just shushed him, when they came around the paddock there was a large building with a homemade sign on the door for an ice cream parlour. 

"My treat. Come on." Tony jumped out the car and Bucky whistled wolfishly, making Tony laugh. "Yeah, yeah." Bucky grinned and opened the door, coming round the car to meet Tony as they walked into the parlour, he shoved his hands into his pockets noting all the flavours available on the menu. 

There was a young girl at the counter, probably no older than 10, it was clear this was a family owned business. By the looks of the menu's in chalk, it seemed that there were kids around a lot. "How many I help you, sirs?" She politely asked and Bucky grinned, her pigtails were braided with beads on the ends.

"I'll have a chocolate brownie ice cream please, in a waffle cone." Tony spoke first, coming up to the counter to smile at the little girl, she smiled back but was clearly not interested in his Stark Status. However she looked as though she recognised him. Tony asked her about school while she busied herself with making his ice cream. "Buck? What would you like?"

"Vanilla." Bucky asked and the girl nodded, handing Tony's ice cream to him. "Please." He added belatedly as he strolled up to the counter, brushing shoulders with Tony.  The girl gave Bucky his ice cream and Tony passed her a $100 bill, she scrutinised it and looked up at Tony.

"Keep the change, tell your father Tony came by." She sighed and nodded and placed the $100 note in the till.

"How are we meant to break that Tony, could've at least given us it in $5s." She said confidently with a smirk and it pulled a laugh out of Bucky. 

"Oh now you're not 'Miss Public Professional Saleswoman' are you?" Tony struck back, the girl rolled her eyes.

"You're no longer paying customers." She smiled at the pride in Tony's eyes, it was radiating across the store in Bucky's opinion. 

"That's my girl!" He shouted needlessly as there was no one around, he stroked her head and held his free hand out for a high five, she obliged with a jump despite being on a stool to reach the counter top. "Thanks for the ice-cream, Kamala." She grinned and gave an enthusiastic wave as they walked out to the car. 

"Wanna sit and eat? It's a nice day." Tony pointed to two metal chairs that were painted pink to fit the pastel aesthetic of the building, Bucky nodded and pulled out his seat. He had been eating his ice cream while Tony and Kamala spoke so he was almost done, but sitting and watching Tony eat ice cream was definitely not something he was going to pass up. "I'm gonna run in and grab a napkin, will you hold this for me?" Tony passed him the ice cream and Bucky nodded, watching him stroll in. Bucky could take a bite right now and Tony would never know, but that would defeat the purpose of his challenge really. He wanted Tony to know, because he wanted Tony to let him. 

When Bucky saw the door open he began to lick the dripping ice cream on the cone, admittedly more sensually than necessary. 

"Hey, you have your own ice cream!" Tony protested as he got closer, Bucky passed him the ice cream in exchange for a napkin but still ran his tongue over his fingers "for good measure". Or so he told himself. 

He knew Tony was watching him, he smirked and wiped them off with a napkin. "I do, but yours tastes better." He said confidently. Then in a leap of faith, he lent over Tony's arm and licked the cone, Tony didn't move an inch until Bucky was back into his seat. "Definitely better."

* * *

 

The next morning the team decided to have a group breakfast, since they were all awake anyway, or would be soon considering Steve sent FRIDAY to tell the remaining sleepers "to get their asses out here" as he phrased it. Bucky lent on the counter beside the stove with a "Hello Handsome" mug in his hands, trying to nurse his sorrows away in the boiled black bean water. He inhaled deeply.

"You're pathetic." Steve commented, not taking his eyes from the pancakes.

"I know." Bucky whined, throwing his head back into the cabinets. 

"Coffee. Coffee. Coffee. Coffee. Coffee. Coffee." Tony came stumbling in, and Bucky could see that he was still in the same clothes as yesterday. He took one last sip from his mug with a put upon sigh and passed it to Tony who took it with grabby hands and sat with it at the table. 

Bucky turned to Steve watching him with a bemused grin, "What, wasn't the coffee in the pot good enough?" he pointed his spatula over at the full cafetiere. Bucky gave him the middle finer as he pulled out a Stark Industries mug and filled it up. 

* * *

 

Then the next day at dinner, Bucky took his regular place next to Tony and stroked his arm quickly to alert him of his presence. Tony continued talking to Bruce but covered Bucky's hand on his arm with his own briefly. Bucky saw Bruce's eyes watch the movement and rest on him. Bucky smiled and Bruce smiled back, but he had a feeling he was going to get a one-on-one confrontation later. 

When Clint and Natasha dropped the take-out onto the table, everyone began fighting for the food except for Tony who waited until it had settled down. He took little bits of items that were left graciously, the others never even noticed he had been the only one not to stand when it was being handed out.

"Hey," Bucky nudged Tony with his ankle, Tony looked up while eating noodles, they hung out of his mouth like pathetic walrus teeth before Tony slurped them up. Bucky laughed and handed over his dumplings. "Scored some for ya'." Tony looked at him quizzically but nodded.

"Thank you. They're my favourite." He said quietly, like it was some sort of secret that he had a favourite food.

"I know." Bucky rolled his eyes and began eating his own food, before quickly taking a piece of chicken from Tony's plate. "Tit for tat." He explained weakly, Tony just shook his head with a chuckle.

* * *

 

The team "decided" to have their monthly pizza night (that Clint had graciously added to everyone's calendar) on a Saturday night, so they tumbled onto the couches on the main floor at around 6pm. Steve struck a deal that if he ordered, Clint had to bring them up from the door.

Tony walked in beside Rhodey showing him a hologram on his tablet of some new armour. Rhodey grinned and patted Tony on the back, who seemed to preen with the praise. Bucky caught Tony's eye and pointed to the seat beside him that he'd purposely saved for Tony (through a method of death glaring anyone that approached it). Tony went to the fridge and grabbed two beers and brought them over, uncapping one and handing it to Bucky, who handed it to Steve, who held it beside his other beer in his hand with confusion. He saw what Bucky was doing and sighed and passed it to Rhodey, who thanked him with a bemused grin. 

Tony uncapped the second one and went to cheers Bucky who sat innocently beside him. Bucky took Tony's beer from his hand and without breaking eye contact took a swig of the beer. He licked the foam from his lips and placed it back into Tony's hand that seemed to have frozen in place. 

-

The pizza arrived during the movie Rhodey had suggested, it was something directed by Ben Affleck starring his brother but really Bucky hadn't been listening but he doubted that he knew the people in it anyway.

He left the pizza boxes open so the team could grab a plate and pick whichever they chose. Tony picked 2 margarita slices and a chicken feast, while Bucky selected pepperoni and vegetarian.

During the movie Tony paused in his eating to whisper commentary to Bucky, like he did along to every movie. While he was speaking Bucky nudged forward to the slice of pizza levitating in the air and found that Tony's hand brought it closer to him while he took a bite and Tony's commentary didn't stop for one moment. Bucky smiled around the pizza and whispered back to Tony, enjoying the way his pupils had dilated at the way Bucky's lips touched his ear briefly.

The team didn't comment, but he knew they had all witnessed the moment between them.

* * *

 

Lunch with Tony became a regular thing for Bucky. When Bucky moved in he never really understood why the task of feeding Tony ended up on the team's chore rotary. Now it's been taken off (by him) because the position has been permanently filled (by him).

"Tony! I brought you food!"  He calls out into the workshop, he hears a clang of Tony clearly dropping a tool and the distinct curses that follow become clearer as he approaches. "Sorry, didn't mean to scare ya'. It's just gone 4, thought you'd be hungry." He put the plate down on the work bench and rests his back on it while Tony clears his hands of oil.

"It's fine." Bucky's eyebrows shot up, Tony was being short with him, which had never happened before.

"How much sleep did you get last night?" Bucky asked warily, Tony shot him a look and shrugged before pulling himself into the bench.

"Sir slept 7 hours last night Sargent Barnes." FRIDAY piped up in response, Bucky's heart deflated a little bit.

"Oh." His disappointment rang clear in his voice. "So it's something I did." He speculated out loud. Tony looked at his with one eyebrow raised while he angrily ate his sandwich, which was remarkable because Bucky didn't know how someone could angrily eat a cheese sandwich. "Don't give me that look, you're mad at me." Bucky explained, he sat further apart that he usually would, straddling the bench so he could look at Tony. "Tell me what's up and I'll fix it."

He was determined that he could fix it, watching as Tony's angry chewing became slower until he swallowed. He then took the flask of water and drank and Bucky really didn't _want_ to watch his adam's apple bopping in his neck but it was hot and he found he couldn't look away, at least until he realised it was no longer moving and he was just staring at Tony's neck. Bucky's lips felt suddenly dry, he licked them and looked back up at Tony who was now watching him intensely. 

"Why do you take my food?" He shot quickly, his eyes shortening in suspicion. 

"I don't know what you're talking about." Bucky feigned, adjusting his trousers because Tony was sweaty and covered in oil and angry and it was hot, okay.

"Don't bullshit me Barnes!" Tony said darkly, and Bucky was definitely going to have a problem if Tony swore with a deep voice again. Bucky closed his eye and took a deep breath. When he opened them Tony was still staring at him. 

"Why do you let me?" Bucky retorted. Tony just glared and yeah, okay, Bucky should've expected that. "Okay! Alright!" Bucky held his hands up in resignation, "God, I didn't realise it was such a problem. I'll back off, now fuckin' enjoy your lunch. Asshole." He muttered, he swung his leg over the bench but Tony caught his ankle. Bucky wobbled as Tony pulled him by his leg along the bench, now Bucky left leg was over the top of Tony's under the bench and his right knee rested on Tony's back. Bucky's face was very close to Tony's face, he noted. 

"That's not gonna cut it Barnes." He said darkly again, but when Bucky tried to adjust himself Tony's grip got tighter on his knee, Tony's eyes glinted indicating he knew exactly what effect this was having on Bucky. Tony's right shoulder was up against Bucky's chest and he could feel the hand on his knee drawing soft patterns up his leg, making hsi hairs raise. It was such a contrast to the anger Tony displayed. Bucky sighed and brought his metal hand to Tony's elbow, copying the patterns.

"I don't know." He said quietly, determinedly looking at the elbow and not at Tony's face. "I don't know why I take it. In a way, at the start at least, I guess it was to antagonise you... I wanted to see how long you'd let me." Bucky finally forced his head up to look at Tony, he wasn't sure he was going to get the opportunity to be this close to him again and he wanted to document every freckle, hair, wrinkle, pore.

"And now?" Tony said quietly, "Now what is it?"

"Are you really going to make me say it?" Bucky huffed a breath, he just wanted Tony to accept his answer and say 'Yes well, consider this the last time I ever let you. You're annoying, get out my tower. Thank you. Bye'. Bucky knew he wasn't being realistic, that Tony would never kick him out over something so trivial as taking food, but he definitely wouldn't want to continue their friendship.

"Yes, I need to hear it. Before I-" He stopped himself suddenly and shook his head, "I need to hear it." Tony decided and he was doing a very good job and pretending Bucky didn't have a boner 5cm away from where his fingers danced, for that Bucky was grateful.

"It was flirting, alright? I like you. A lot. I don't know, it doesn't make sense - taking your food or whatever. But I guess-" Bucky was frustrated, he had never thought it through before, when he says it out loud it sounds dumb. "I guess I wanted to be close to you. So. Yeah." He groaned and ran his hand down his face, suddenly a hand came up and took his wrist gently. 

Tony leaned in slowly, looking from Bucky's eyes to his lips and back, asking the silent question. Bucky licked his lips in anticipation and gave a small nod, frightened that any sudden movement would ruin everything happening in this moment. Tony's hand came to the back of Bucky's neck and his lips gave off a spark as soon as they hit Bucky's own, Bucky's hand came to his back and he pulled himself closer into the heated kiss. 

His chest was heaving onto Tony's after what felt like only brief minutes, when he looked at the clock he noted it had been over an hour and he hiccuped a laugh. Tony grinned devilishly in response and moved off the bench, he had a significant tent in his trousers. Bucky pulled his eyes and raked them up to Tony's face which was smirking. 

"Can we go-" Bucky began as he finally got up from the bench, desperate to devour Tony's mouth again.

"Yes." Tony answered immediately, taking Bucky's metal hand and pulling him into him while stumbling towards the elevator. "FRIDAY full-speed to my floor." Tony requested politely as he could from inside Bucky's mouth.

* * *

 

The next morning the team were round the breakfast bar, inadvertently having a team breakfast when Tony picked a forkful of Bucky's scrambled eggs and ate it in exchange for a corner of his pancake that he held out for Bucky, who ate it from his fork with a blush. The team just rolled their eyes.

"You guys are gross." Clint groaned. A chunk of pancake slapped him in the face.


End file.
